Footwear



p i 1947- H; FREEDMAN 2,418,342

FOOTWEAR Filed June '1, 1945 INVENTOR jig man fieeamn ATTRNEY v Patented Apr. 1, 1 947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOOTWEAR Hyman Freedman, New York, N. Y.

Application June 7, 1945, Serial No. 598,016 6' Claims. (01. 36-1) This invention relates generally to improvements in footwear and has particular reference to a slipper.

In hospitals, it is customary to provide stools for the convenience of convalescent patients to enable them to more readily get out of and reenter their beds which are considerably higher than the ordinary bed. The patient is usually provided with a pair of slippers which he dons and removes in the process of getting out of and into the bed and these slippers are placed upon the stool for ready access. However, without means for maintaining the slippers in proper position on the stool, so that the patient can readily insert his feet, the slippers are quite likely to be shifted thereon or even knockedofi by a nurse in the course 'of her duties, thereby seriously inconveniencing the patient when he desires to leave the bed and a nurse is not present to assist him. In such instance, the patient usually rises and sits upon the edge of the bed and then slips his feet into the slippers if they are properly positioned on the stool. However, if they are not, the operation of donning the slippers is a difficult one and sometimes impossible due to the inability of the patient to stoop over or raise the legs, particularly in abdominal surgical cases, and adjust the slippers on the feet by hand.

In order to overcome these difiiculties, the present invention provides a slipper with an anchoring flap which may be caused to assume a substantially horizontal position extendinglaterally from the inside of the slipper to enable the patient to exert pres-sure upon the flap with one foot to engage it with a support and thus hold the slipper from possible shifting on said support while inserting the other foot into the slipper.

The inventive idea is capable of receivin a variety of mechanical expressions, some of which, for purposes of illustration, are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of one form of slipper constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the manner in which the slipper is held by one foot while inserting the other foot.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section substantially on the line 3-4 of Fig. 1, the dotted lines illustrating the inoperative position of an anchoring member which is employed While in the act of donning the slipper.

Fig, 4 is a. perspective view of the counter por tion of the slipper showing the anchoring memher in dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the slipper showing a modified form of anchoring member.

Figs. 1 to 4 illustrate the application of the invention to a slipper or other footwear comprising an upper portion H which may be made of leather or other suitable material, and a sole portion 62 having a heel it. In accordance with this form of the invention, the sole portion directly above the heel i3 is provided therein with a transversely extending and tapered recess If) the purpose of which will appear in the course of the description. A counter 16 is enclosed within the heel portion of the upper ii and is provided therein along its inner side with an elongated slot H, and secured to said counter in proximity to said slot I! and extending longitudinally thereof is a pivot rod it. A flexible anchoring member made of leather or any other suitable material having a degree of resiliency, i plvotally mounted upon the rod 18, as shown in Fig. 3, and comprises the outer tread section it and the inner angularly disposed section 20 which is lighter in weight than said section l9. In the operative position of the anchoring member, illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, the outer section 19 projects laterally from the inner side of the slipper while the inner section 2!] lays adjacent the inner surface of the upper H, said section l9 normally assuming this position due to the fact that it is heavier than the section Ell. The latter section is provided along its upper edge with a lip 2! which may be engaged over the upper edge of the upper I! should it be desired to retain said section in the inoperative position of Figs. 1 and 3 alongside said upper. Onthe other hand, if it is desired that the anchorin member assume the dotted line position of Fig. 3 when the slipper is donned, the lip 2! is left in a detached position so that the section 20 will assume more of an oblique position, as shown in Fig. 2 for a purpose to presently appear.

When donning the slipper, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the foot is inserted so that the heel will engage the upper end of the section 2!] and the other foot is placed upon the tread section I9 and pressure exerted thereon to flex the same downwardly into engagement with the support upon which the slipper is resting so as to secure the latter against shifting when the first foot is inserted into the same. Insertion of the foot is continued by the usual forward and downward movement thereof and while this is occurring the counter of the slipper is held rigid by pressure of the other foot upon the section l9 so that the heel will more readily enter the slipper. As the downward movement of the heel progresses, pressure upon the inner section 20 forces it downwardly toward the sole portion [2 and finally causes it to enter the recess I 5 therein. This movement of the inner section 20 is relative to the outer section l9 and is made possibly by the flexible nature of the anchoring member, and when the pressure upon the tread section 19 is removed by withdrawal of the other foot from said section, the latter by reason of the inherent resiliency of the anchoring member, will move to the dotted line or inoperative and substantially vertical position alongside the upper portion ll. When the foot is removed from the slipper, the section 19 will, by reason of its weight, restore to its operative position and the section 20 will assume its oblique position. 0n the other hand, if the lip 2| is engaged with the upper, as in Figs. 1 and 3, it will remain in such position when the heel is inserted and will thus be interposed between the heel and side of the upper when said heel is fully in position. In this event, the tread section l9 7 will remain in its laterally extending position after'the slipper is donned.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 the anchoring member 22 comprises an elongated strip of leather, fabric or other material, one extremity of which may be secured between the upper portion Hand the heel 13 on the inner side of the slipper. From thence, the strip 22 is extended around back of the upper H and through a slot formed by a retaining strip 24 which is stitched or otherwise secured to said upper. The other extremity of the member 22 is extended beyond the retaining strip 24 and is secured to the upper portion I I adjacent its free edge. The strip 22 is of a length greater than the distance between its two points of attachment so that a loop 25 may be formed therein which will project laterally from theinner side of the slipper and thus constitute a tread section similar in function to the section l9. After said section 25 has performed its purpose, the portion of the member 22 forming said sectionmay be adjusted to an inoperative position against the inner side of the upper by pushing. the other end portion of said member 22 through the slot formed by the retaining element 24.

The drawing also illustrates a means to aid in correcting an orthopedic fault with many people in walking who strike their heels together as they pass each other. This means is effective when the tread sections l9 are in their vertical or inoperative positions and consists of a magnet 26 of highly magnetizable material mounted in the inner side of the heel l3 of each slipper. The poles of said magnets face outwardly, as best shown in Fig. 3, and are so arranged that like poles repel each other as they come into close proximity during the act of walking, and thus tend to prevent the persons heels from coming in contact with each other.

What is claimed is:

1. In a slipper; a flexible anchoring flap. movable to extend laterally from the inner side of said lipper for engagement with a support, and means to retain said flap in an inoperative position against said side of the slipper.

2. In a slipper, an upper portion, a counter about which said upper portion extends, and an anchoring member pivotally mounted in said counter and comprising angularly disposed outer 4 and inner sections, said member being movable about its pivot to project said outer section laterally from the side of said slipper and engage said inner section with the inner surface of said upper portion.

3. In a slipper, an upper portion, acounter about which said slipper extends, an anchoring member pivotally supported by said counter and comprising angularly disposed outer and inner sections, said member being movable about its pivot to project said outer section laterally from the side of said slipper and engage said inner section with the inner surface of said upper portion, and means on said inner section for releasably engaging said upper portion to retain said outer section in its projected position.

4. In a slipper, an upper portion, a sole portion having a recess therein, and an anchorin member pivotally supported by said upper portion and comprising angularly disposed outer and inner sections, said outer section being alternately movable about the pivot of said member to a position alongside said upper portion and to laterally projecting position relative thereto, and said inner section being engageable in said recess and movable therefrom to a position alongside the inner surface of said upper portion.

5. In a slipper, an upper portion, a sole portion having a' recess therein, an anchoring member pivotally supported by said upper portion and comprising angularly disposed outer and inner sections, said outer section being alternately movable about the pivot of said member to a position alongside said upper portion and to a laterally projecting position relative thereto, said inner section being engageable in said recess and movable therefrom to a position alongside the inner surface of said upper portion, and means on said inner section engageable with said upper portion in the last named position of said section to releasably retain said outer section in its projected position,

6. In a slipper, a sole and an upper portion, a retaining element secured to said upper and combining therewith to form a slot, and a flexible anchoring member extending through said slot and having its extremities fixed to said upper portion at spaced apart points the distance be tween which is less than the length of said anchoring member whereby a portion of the latter may be projected from the inner side of the slipper to form an anchoring flap, said flexible member being movable through said slot to engage the portion of said member forming said flap against said upper portion when the flap is not in use.

HYMAN FREEDMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Date Bauer Apr. 27, 1937 

